Urubko: New Route on Cho Oyu for 14th 8,000'er

The 2,800-meter-high (9,200-foot) southeast face of 8,201-meter Cho Oyu, on the Nepal-Tibet border. The red line marks Urubko's planned route on Cho Oyu; he and his partner deviated "not so much" from this planned line in the final 600 meters. Green line in center: the Polish route from the winter of 1985; green line at right: the Austrian route from 1978. Photo by Simone Moro, courtesy of Russianclimb.com.

News Link: Kazakh climber Denis Urubko has summited 8,201-meter Cho Oyu by an alpine-style ascent of the difficult southeast face, a stylish finish to his quest to climb all 14 8,000-meter peaks. The 2,800-meter face was first climbed in 1978 by an Austrian team; in 1985 a Polish expedition completed a winter ascent of Cho Oyu by a remarkable climb up the southeast pillar.

Urubko and partner Boris Dedeshko climbed a new line to the left of the Polish pillar. The two spent more than a week on the climb and descent, including sitting out a storm at 7,600 meters. They descended by the ascent route, taking three days, the last two without food.